Authorities search for victims in flattened town of Paradise after Camp Fire's devastation

The Camp Fire, in less than 24 hours, had torched over 31 square miles and scorched Paradise, California.
USA TODAY

El Dorado County Sheriff's Deputy Paul Zierke picks his way through a destroyed home while searching for survivors and victims of the Camp Fire in Paradise, Calif. on Nov 10, 2018.
(Photo: Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY NETWORK)

PARADISE, Calif. – Authorities on Saturday continued their grim task of searching for Camp Fire victims in Paradise, their footsteps crunching across burned debris as they investigated property by property.

With so many houses destroyed by the fire, most inspections are initially cursory, with trained search-and-rescue teams following up later for a more comprehensive survey.

The town remains entirely evacuated, with virtually no residents remaining. A small army of firefighters, police officers and utility workers is the only sign of life. The power is still out, and wild deer are foraging in the few gardens remaining green.

Butte County Sheriff's Deputy Brian Evans, left, checks his phone while assigning El Dorado County Sheriff's Deputy Craig Reimche to a new house to check for survivors during the grim search in Paradise, Calif. on Nov 10, 2018
, following the Camp Fire.
(Photo: Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY NETWORK)

Laughs are hard to come by for Evans right now: Everything he owns was destroyed by the fire. His whole neighborhood is gone, as is his son’s school. His partner scooped up his son during the evacuation, and his wife was safely in nearby Chico.

“We have one car and the clothes we had on. Everything else is gone,” he said, in between breaks of radio chatter.

Odin, a 10-year-old Belgian Malinois police dog from El Dorado County, California, yawns during a break from work helping search for missing people in Paradise, Calif. on Nov 10, 2018, following the Camp Fire.
(Photo: Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY NETWORK)

For Evans, the work gives him focus and a sense of purpose despite the destruction of his hometown.

“This is what I signed up for –to help people out,” he said. “This is what we do.”

The Northern California town of Paradise was burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight)(Photo: Hung T. Vu)

The charred frames of chairs still sit in the rubble of the Rock House, Dining & Espresso restaurant on Highway 70 by Yankee Hill. The Camp Fire swept through the area Thursday and burned most of the restaurant to the ground. Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. This is the Skyway. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. This is Clark Road. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. this was at a school. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. This was a school building. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

A building from Paradise Unified School was burned down in Paradise as seen from Pearson Rd.
The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. These are the ruins from a school building on Pearson Road. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. This is a view of structures on Pearson Road. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. These cars were at the Super Shopper Auto. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. This Jeep burned up in the Edward Jones parking lot. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was a burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on the road. Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars on roads. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

The Northern California town of Paradise was burned ghost town on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, a day after the Camp Fire swept through. Most of the businesses on the Skyway were destroyed. Some schools were burned out. People escaping the fire abandoned their cars. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

A service dog provides assistance Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, the day after the Camp Fire destroyed parts of Butte County, California. The fire flattened much of the town of Paradise on Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018. Trevor Hughes

John Simon , former battalion chief of Paradise Fire Department, worked Friday as a volunteer searching for pets displaced by the Camp Fire. The fire, which started in Butte County on Thursday Nov. 8, 2018, swiftly devastated Paradise, California. Benjamin Spillman

In this image provided by NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS), smoke from the Camp Fire can seen spreading across northern California on Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018. Courtesy of NASA

A Cupertino firefighter puts out flames early Friday morning at a house along Oak Ridge Drive in the Skansen subdivision by the Skyway in Paradise. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

A Cupertino firefighter puts out flames early Friday morning at a house along Oak Ridge Drive in the Skansen subdivision by the Skyway in Paradise. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

A Cupertino firefighter puts out flames early Friday morning at a house along Oak Ridge Drive in the Skansen subdivision by the Skyway in Paradise. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

A Cupertino firefighter puts out flames early Friday morning, Nov. 9, 2018 at a home along Oak Ridge Drive in the Skansen subdivision by the Skyway in Paradise. (Hung T. Vu/Special to the Record Searchlight) Hung T. Vu

Firefighters battle the Camp Fire as it tears through Paradise, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018. Tens of thousands of people fled a fast-moving wildfire Thursday in Northern California, some clutching babies and pets as they abandoned vehicles and struck out on foot ahead of the flames that forced the evacuation of an entire town and destroyed hundreds of structures. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) ORG XMIT: CANB133 Noah Berger, AP

epaselect epa07152472 Fire rages through neighborhoods as the Camp Fire burns out of control through Paradise, fueled by high winds in Butte County, California, USA, 08 November 2018. The nearby communities of Pulga, Paradise and Concow, have been ordered to evacuate the area. EPA-EFE/PETER DASILVA ORG XMIT: PDS01 PETER DASILVA, EPA-EFE

The massive plume from the Camp Fire, burning in the Feather River Canyon and near Paradise, wafts over the Sacramento Valley as seen from Chico on Thursday morning. (David Little -- Enterprise-Record) David Little/Chico Enterprise-Record

Jon Trojanowski, a volunteer with North Valley Animal Disaster Group, walks his Malamue-Lab mix Lexi.
Trojanowski lost his home in the Camp Fire but remained on task volunteering to help aid and rescue animals endangered by the fire. Benjamin Spillman

Volunteer Lori Finch on Nov. 10, 2018 greets a baby donkey on a farm in an area that was evacuated because of the Camp Fire. Finch was able to provide the donkey, several goats, pigs and llamas food and water. Benjamin Spillman